I have been a perioperative nurse since 1999 and have had CNOR certification since 2003. I have always loved the operating room, and I knew I wanted to be an OR nurse since college when I took a perioperative elective course. My favorite specialties are orthopedics and open heart. I have been the perioperative staff educator at my facility for the last 16 months. It has been exciting, humbling, frustrating, and extremely rewarding-all in one package! At home, I am a mom of 3 busy children, and I am married to a wonderful man who is also a perioperative nurse. I enjoy reading, crocheting & knitting, hiking & being outdoors. I am looking forward to networking and forming new friendships with other e-chapter members.

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I had a BM in music education and went back to school in 2005 as a second degree BSN. I graduated from Marymount University in Dec 2007 after completing my internship at INOVA Fairfax in the CVOR. I had such a wonderful experience there decided that I wanted to be an OR nurse. I am curently a Level II BSN, RN in the OR at The Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. My specialty is Thoracic Surgery. I work with a wonderful team of nurses, techs, and surgeons. I am truly blessed to be working with such wonderful people at a great hospital.

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I have been a nurse for 40 years this May and have worked in the OR for the last 20years.  I took the Surgical Services Clinical Coordinator position in 2000, which includes Central Sterilizing, PACU, GI Endosopy, and the OR.  West Park Hospital is 25 bed Critical Access Hospital with many great surgeons.  We do total joints with three orthopedic surgeons, including the anterior approach for total hips, and are just setting up a program for doing endovascular interventional radiological procedures in the OR with a new surgeon.  Even though I have worked in the rural hospital setting for the last 37years, I keep current on all the standards and find many challenges in keeping fully staffed, doing a lot of teaching as we have the philosophy of ‘growing our own’ from surgical techs doing on-line classes to training and encouraging them to continue their education in nursing.  I have been a member of AORN for last 19 years and have my CNOR as well.  I find the organization to be a great resource for my professional growth.

I graduate from Bloomsburg University with my BSN in December of 2008. While I have been a nurse for a little less than a year, I have had some amazing experiences working in the OR at Geisinger Medical Center in Danville PA. As a new member of AORN I hope to continue to learn as much as I can about OR life.